It turns out that it takes a village not just to raise a child but also to produce a book.

Well, some books.

A case in point is the new book that Jesse Francis and I have been working on over the past couple of years, entitled Ancient Land, New Land. It will be coming out in another few months from Acorn Books.

As a final review stage before handing the manuscript over to Lee Ellen Pottie for editing, Jesse and I shared the manuscript with a dozen individuals who are knowledgeable about different aspects of PEI history and culture today. Those individuals were Georges Arsenault, Edward MacDonald, Earle Lockerby, Tammy MacDonald, Julie Pellesier-Lush, Karen Jans. Jenene Wooldridge, Barb MacDonald, Aaron Waddell, Don MacKenzie, Tracey Cutcliffe, and Helen Kristmanson. Their feedback was invaluable, and greatly improved the book that is soon to be.

Of course, any errors or deficiencies that remain in the book belong exclusively to Jesse and me.

Once Lee Ellen Pottie has completed her editing, the document and image package will move on to award-winning designer Stéphane Breton to come up with the look and lay-out. Included in the mix will be several brand-new illustrations created specifically for this book by Christopher Hoyt.

As I said, it takes a village.